1.) Goals for this Saturday?
Anything can happen at State! There are so many things that can have an effect on the race. I would like to stay with the front runners. Laura Steinmetz and MaryGrace Pelligrini are great runners. There are other very good runners like Emmie McAtee, Annie Barry, and a number of the girls on the Assumption & Manual Teams. It will be exciting to run with all of them.
2.) Big win over several talented runners at the Regional. How did that feel?
It felt good! God has really blessed me all season, and I've been having a great time. It was a tough race. The first mile was pretty fast. Emmie McAtee ran especially well. She never let up and kept pushing me through the whole race. It was a great preparation for State.
3.) Were you excited that your team qualified from your Region?
I am so excited! That was the best part of the meet, having BOTH our girls and boys teams make State! With Assumption, Oldham, Sacred Heart, and several other strong schools in our Region we knew it would be close and tough for our girls' team. We only have a small group of girls this year and one of our top 3 runners was injured days before the race. We weren't sure where we would end up. Running as a team at State will motivate us all to do better as individuals
4.) Laura Steinmetz is running strong. Are you looking forward to running against her Saturday?
I can't wait to run with Laura. She is a strong runner and it will be a challenge to stay with her. I'm looking forward to the meet on Saturday. Laura has accomplished much in her high school running career. I admire her a lot.
5.) Describe your coaches at Eastern.
We have two strong coaches, Coach Horan and Coach Letendre. Coach Horan is a wonderful person and a great coach. He works with us everyday and has believed in our ability from the beginning. Not many teams have a coach who trains with them that is also one of the fastest 5k runners in the State! Coach Horan pushes us and helps us achieve our goals. He balances hard work, recovery, and the other important values in our lives. Both coaches are not only our cross country coaches but track as well. They coached us to be the 2006 Girls State Champions in track and our 4x800 team went on to Nationals. Both coaches and their families sacrifice a lot to work with us to become our best. Even the coaches' wives come out to our meets to support and cheer for us.
6.) Favorite race this season.
There were many great races, but Lexington Catholic was probably my favorite. It was a great day to run because it was cold. I really like the cold! That evening our Team camped out at the Horse Park and ran the course again early the next morning. It was really a fun and different experience.
7.) Which is better, XC or Track?
I'm kind of a seasonal girl. Right now, I will tell you cross country. In the spring, I will tell you track. Both sports are fun to me. Doing both keeps variety in my life. I really like running shorter ,faster races such as the 800 in track, but there is something special about running a 5k through the fields, woods, up and down hills…I like them both!
8.) Other Comments?
Our team is like family. We are good friends as well as teammates. Both the boys and the girls' teams are proud of each others accomplishments and we are each others biggest fans. Coach Letendre, our other coach, is also wonderful to train with. He can run as fast as any of the boys, so it makes for some pretty intense practices. Both coaches can give a challenging pace to run whenever we are practicing. I love my team, coaches, and very supportive family; I am so blessed to have them all!